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Common Fungal Infections
Overview
Fungal infections are caused by tiny organisms (fungi). They live on the body and in our environments. When fungi multiply and spread too quickly, they cause fungal infections. Fungal infections can affect skin, nails, and hair. Common types include:
- Athlete’s foot
- Ringworm
- Jock itch
- Yeast infections
You’re more likely to get a fungal infection if you:
- Use public swimming pools, gyms, and showers
- Live in a warm, moist climate
- Sweat a lot
You can help protect yourself from fungal infections by keeping your skin clean and dry. We can treat fungal infections with antifungal medications, creams, ointments, powders, or pills. These infections can be difficult to cure and can come back.
Symptoms
Symptoms of common fungal infections depend on what body area is affected.
Athlete’s foot can cause:
- Scaly, cracked, and red skin between the toes.
- Red and scaly skin over the soles and sides of the feet.
- Thick and discolored toenails.
Ringworm can cause:
- Red, scaly, circular skin patches with raised edges.
- Oozing blisters in the patches.
- Bald patches in areas with hair.
- Thick, discolored, and crumbling nails.
Jock itch (dermatophyte fungus) can spread from person to person (is contagious). Symptoms include:
- Itching in the groin, buttocks, or folds in the upper thighs.
- Distinct circular edge around skin patches.
- Reddish or brownish scaly rash on the inner thighs.
Yeast infections can occur on the skin (candidas) or in the vagina. Symptoms include:
- Intense itching.
- Redness and swelling.
- Smaller sores near larger sores.
- Vaginal discharge.
Oral thrush is a yeast infection that affects the mouth. It causes:
- Milky, thick discharge in the mouth.
- Yellowish-white patches in the throat or on the tongue.
- Difficulty eating and swallowing.
Causes and Risk Factors
Fungal infections are caused by tiny organisms (fungi). They live on the body and in our environments. When fungi multiply and spread too quickly, they cause fungal infections.
You’re more likely to get a fungal infection if you:
- Live in a warm climate.
- Have sweaty feet.
- Don’t fully dry your feet or other skin areas.
- Wear tight shoes, underwear, thongs, or pants.
- Use douches and scented tampons (which can lead to yeast infections).
- Are male (for jock itch).
Other risk factors include:
- Antibiotic treatment, because it kills healthy bacteria and upsets the skin’s normal balance.
- Weakened immune system (autoimmune disease) or diabetes.
- Steroid or chemotherapy treatment.
- Age. Fungal infections are more common in young children and older adults.
- Skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis.
Some fungal infections, such as jock itch, spread easily from person to person.
Diagnosis
We’ll examine your infected area. Often, we’ll take a small scrapping from the skin surface to confirm a fungus is present. This helps us recommend the appropriate treatment.
If needed, we may have our lab grow a culture from your infected tissue sample. It may take a few weeks to identify the fungus.
Treatment
Treatment depends on where your infection is located and whether it’s a new or ongoing problem.
It’s important to get treatment as soon as possible. It’s harder to get rid of an infection once you’ve had it for a while.
We’ll recommend over-the-counter antifungal products (ointment, spray, or cream) first. If this isn’t effective, we’ll consider prescription antifungal medications. We may need to try more than one medication to clear your infection.
Thrush
Mild oral thrush and other mild fungal infections may go away on their own, without treatment. For thrush, you can eat yogurt to help restore the balance of microorganisms in your mouth and digestive tract.
Fungal infections caused by serious health conditions, such as diabetes or HIV/AIDS, often go away when the main condition is treated.
Athlete’s foot
You can treat athlete’s foot at home with a nonprescription powder or cream (terbinafine, clotrimazole, or miconazole). Get these products at your local drugstore. Apply the product:
- Between your toes, especially after bathing. Dry your feet carefully first.
- On the rash and skin around it, twice a day. Use it until the rash goes away.
The rash should go away within:
- 2 to 3 weeks, if using terbinatine.
- 3 to 4 weeks if using miconazole or clotrimazole.
It can be more difficult to treat when the toenails are affected.
Jock itch
Use a nonprescription antifungal cream, ointment, powder, or spray (clotrimazole, miconazole, or terbinafine).
Apply 2 times a day to the rash area and surrounding skin. Continue until the rash goes away, which may take 6 to 8 weeks.
If jock itch doesn’t go away after 8 weeks, make an appointment with us. You may need prescription antifungal products or antibiotics.
Prevention
Fungi usually don’t grow on dry, healthy skin. You can reduce your chance of infection by:
- Keeping your skin dry, including between your toes.
- Taking care of your nails. Don’t share pedicure or manicure tools.
- Washing and drying your hands several times daily.
- Avoiding touching an infected area on another person.
- Not sharing towels, body soaps, clothing, or any personal items with others.
Also, follow these lifestyle recommendations:
- Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water daily.
- Avoid wearing tight shoes, underwear, thongs, or pants.
- Wear cotton underwear.
- Avoid using douches and scented tampons.
To prevent (or heal) athlete’s foot, try these tips:
- Go barefoot or wear sandals when possible.
- Wear dry cotton socks. Change damp socks immediately.
- Use a blow dryer (set on low) to dry your feet after bathing.
- Dust your feet and shoes with drying powder (Zeasorb-AF) every day.
- Allow shoes to dry out before wearing them again.
When to Call Us
Call our Appointment and Advice Call Center at 866-454-8855 to schedule an urgent appointment if you may have a fungal infection and have a serious health condition, such as autoimmune disease, cancer, or HIV/AIDS.
Fungal infections can cause serious problems in people with weakened immune systems.
Additional References
Disclaimer
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.